Well-logging control system for regulating the tension in a drill line



Feb. 5, 1963 3,076,635

J. E. BOWDEN WELL-LOGGING CONTROL SYSTEM FOR REGULATING THE TENSION IN ADRILL LINE Filed Aug. 25, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I.

INVENTOR J. E. Bowden ATTORNEY Feb. 5, 1963 .1. E. BOWDEN 3,076,635

WELL-LOGGING CONTROL SYSTEM FOR REGULATING THE TENSION IN A DRILL LINEFiled Aug. 25, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY J. E. BOWDEN WELL-LOGGINGCONTROL SYSTEM FOR REGULATING Feb. 5, 1963 THE TENSION IN A DRILL LINEFiled Aug. 25, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG.4

INVENTOR E. Bowden FIG .6. BY 4%:

ATTORNEY United States This invention relates to the automaticregulation of tension in the drill line of an oil well drilling controlsystem as successively deeper subsurface formations are penetrated.

Certain subject matter disclosed herein is shown and described in myco-pending application for patent Serial No. 668,230, filed June 26,1957.

It is primarily aimed to provide a novel automatic system which isreadily attachable to the conventional rotary oil rig for continuouslycontrolling the tension in the drill line and especially one whoseoperation may be exclusively pneumatic.

Another important object is to provide a novel diaphragm sensor unitdirectly associated with the dead line.

A further object is to provide a novel system having a supply valvecontrolling the driving fluid to the hoist drum gearing, which isreciprocable according to the pressure against opposite sides thereof,the pressure against one side being governed by the sensor unit.

Still another object is to provide the sensor unit with a supply valvewhich is variably opened according to the drill line tension to permitpassage of pressure through the unit to one side of said valve.

Further objects are to provide in such system, novel means forautomatically maintaining constant drilling weight on the drilling bitto increase the efficiency of thebit; novel means for generating amechanical signal proportional to the hoist drum shaft movement andeffect resetting of friction brake mechanism in response thereto, and toprovide a novel planetary-type gearing transmission for controlling saidfriction brake mechanism.

The more specific objects and advantages will be pointed out orotherwise become apparent as the description is considered in connectionwith accompanying drawings.

In said drawings:

FIG. 1 is a representative plan or layout of the improved pneumaticsystem and apparatus with parts of the employed planetary gearingexploded;

FIG. 2 is a plan or layout of most of the parts of FIG. 1, on a largerscale with the planetary gearing enmeshed and with the main valveassembly and sensor cross-sectioned;

P16. 3 is a view taken substantially on line 3--3 of FIG. 2 looking inthe direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is an elevation of one end portion of the rig drum, with theassociated planetary gearing and clutch. shown in cross-section;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the sensor looking to the: left in FIGS. 1and 2, and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevation of a conventional rig with the sensorand brake mechanism diagrammatically included.

Referring specifically to the drawings showing by way of example oneoperative embodiment and wherein like or corresponding referencecharacters designate corresponding parts throughout the diifeernt views,an operating fluid. is supplied through conduit 19 under control of asuitable: valve 11 therein. The instant invention is so designed that;its operation may be exclusively pneumatic to attain: simplicity inmanufacture and maintain operating costs at a minimum.

Briefly, a divided stream of the air under pressure: biases a controlvalve assembly A to closed position.

Said assembly is associated with the motor M of the drivatent ing andbraking mechanism of a drum or spool B of a.

conventional drilling rig B, fragmentarily shown in FIG. 1, and itsassociated drilling line or string of cable C of which C represents thedeadline. The tension of said line regulates the admission of anotherdivided pneumatic stream through a sensor unit D to the control valveassembly A to function in opposition to the first divided stream tovariably position the valve per se thereof and thus control thepneumatic input to motor M. Practically all of the elements andcombinations comprising the instant invention may substantially occupy asingle main housing H of the rig or derrick B but of course all of themmay be variously located and positioned as seems most advantageous.

With more specific reference to control valve assembly A it comprises acasing made for example in separable sections as at 12, 13, 14 and 15,section 13 having a partition wall 16 across the same affording a portand valve seat therethrough for frusto-conical valve head 17 of aslidably reciprocable valve rod 18, portions of which project onopposite sides of that head. The rod 18 at opposite ends carries plates19 and 20 which contact or have flexible diaphragms 21 and 22 fastenedthereto, which diaphragms are marginably secured in place by the bolts23 or other means joining the adjacent casing sections. The valve rod 18is mounted by said partition wall 16 and a partition wall 24.

Said control valve assembly A thus has a main input chamber 25 and anoutput chamber 216. A branch conduit 27 leads from supply conduit id tochamber 25 and another branch conduit 28 leads from said supply conduitto a chamber 29 of the valve assembly A, the pressure against the freeface of diaphragm 21 biasing same to the right and the valve head 17 toclosed position, since the pressures thru branch conduits 27 and 28balance. A conventional filter-valve regulating unit 30 and a corntinuously open drain nozzle 01 opening 31 are provided in branch conduit28. A conduit 32 leads from chamber 26 to motor M.

As hereinbefore intimated the position of valve head 17 is regulated bythe tension of the dead end C of the drilling line or cable at sensor D.More in detail, a conventional mounting frame 33 has an upper spool 34pivotally mounted at its top and a spool cam 35 pivotally mounted at 36adjacent its lower end. An elongated handle 37 extends upwardly fromspool cam 35 and the latter in combination with a dowel 3d, removablypositioned 'within a mating axial recess within the cam, assists inmaintaining the handle 37 and cam 35 in the desired position with thedead end portion C bowed or deflected outwardly from the vertical.

Said frame 33 carries a chamber of casing 39 having for example a basewall 4i} and an annular marginal wall 41, against the outer edge ofwhich a flexible diaphragm 42 is suitably fastened as at 4-3, in spacedparallelism to wall 4d and enclosing a space 44. Bolted or otherwisefastened to the diaphragm at 45 and movable therewith is a plate d6having a central stud or projection 47 in contact with the bow ordeflection of said dead end portion C. If desired a plate'48 may befastened against the diaphragm by said bolts 45 for furtherreinforcement.

Projecting centrally from wall is a small housing 46 for a valve 47slidably mounted in a port 48' in wall 49 which is urged by an expansivecoil spring 49 against its seat at said port. A section of the supplyconduit 10 at 5% leads to housing 46. A conduit 51 establishescommunication between sensor space 44- and a space or chamber 52 of thecasing of valve assembly A and one of the main walls of which space 52is the diaphragm 22 whose free face is subject to the pressure thereinfor sliding to the left to correspondingly slide and open valve head 17for flow of air from chamber 25 through the port of valve 17 to chamber26, conduit 32 and motor M. A continuously open nozzle or drain opening53 is provided in conduit 51.

A branch conduit 54' diverts air from supply conduit to operate aspring-biased normally open clutch generally indicated at E whichfunctions to drivingly engage the hoist drum or spool B with a planetarygear assembly P which is in turn driven by motor M. This planetary gearassembly P includes a gear 54 which receives torque from a worm 55driven directly by motor M. A sun pinion gear 55' is keyed or otherwisesecurely affixed to the gear 54 for concurrent rotation therewith, Aring gear 56 meshes with a plurality of small planetary gears 57enmeshed with the peripheral teeth of the sun pinion 55.

The numeral 58 indicates generally a lever system which is actuated bymeans of the planetary gear assembly P. A slotted lever 59 is pivotallysecured at one end to the radial end surface of the internal ring gear56. The opposite end of the lever 59 is pivotally secured to a lever 60which is adapted to oscillate about a fixed pivot pin 61. The lever 69is mounted to actuate a hoist drum brake lever 62 provided with asuitable counterweight 63 suspended from the outermost extremity thereofto assist the brake system in restraining the hoist drum from thetendency to rotate which is caused by the pull of the drill line.

Further, concerning said pneumatically operable clutch E it will be seenthat the gear 54 with associated pinion 55' is mounted for concentricrotation with the drum spool B and its shaft 64. The drum shaft 64 isjournalled between suitable support members 65'. Each of the planetarygears is rotatably journalled upon a spindle 57' secured at one end to aflange 69 with a clutch plate 65.

The clutch E includes an airtight casing 66 disposed to permit rotationof the drum shaft 64 therein. Casing 66 carries an axially movableclutch plate 67 which is biased to its indicated position by means ofthe coiled compression spring 68. The plate 67 is keyed to shaft 64 forconcentric rotation therewith. The clutch plates 66 and 67 are eachprovided with suitable serrations or the like for positive lockingengagement therebetween so that in operation, the application ofcompressed air to the clutch through conduit 54 causes the spring biasedclutch plate 67 to move axially into engagement with the clutch plate65.

It will be realized that as the drill bit penetrates successively deeperformations, the tension on the drill line increases. Since pneumaticpressure supplied via control valve 11 and conduit 10 has engaged thenormally open clutch E, the diaphragm sensor D samples the increasingtension in the dead line and progressively increases the extent ofopening at valve port 48.

The application of torque to the gear 54 and sun pinion 55 causes themto turn freely on the drum shaft 64. Thi in turn causes the associatedplanetary gears each to revolve about its individual spindle 57'.However, since the planetary spindles 57 are held almost motionless bythe engagement of the clutch P, the rotation of the planetaries on suchrelatively stationary spindles causes the ring gear 56 to rotateslightly in the clockwise direction. As a result, the lever 60 is raisedslightly, effecting a corresponding elevation in the hoist drum brakelever 62 which reduces the tension in the hoist drum friction brakebands, and allows the hoist drum to rotate slightly. The inherenttension in the drilling cable then turns the hoist drum through a givenare, and pulls a quantity of line from the drum spool causing the spoolto rotate in an opposite direction. This allows the drill pipe string tolower and transfers some of the suspended weight supported by thederrick to the drill bit.

When the drum rotates oppositely, in this manner, the planetary spindles57 are each caused to rotate counterclockwise. During this interval, thesun pinion or gear 55 is either practically stationary or moving muchmore slowly than the individual planetary gears. This causes the ringgear 56 to rotate counterclockwise and relieve the upward forcepreviously exerted upon the lever 60. The release of lever 60 thencauses the friction brake bands to re-engage. Thus, in combination witha diaphragm sensor unit, the tension of the drilling line isautomatically adjusted during continuous drilling operations.

Presuming operation a stream of air under pressure from a portable tank,compressor or any suitable source is supplied from the left (FIG. 1)through conduit 10, branching through conduit 28 to valve chamber 29 andalso through conduit 27 to the main supply chamber 25 of the valveassembly A, balancing and closing valve 17. Said air stream furtherbranches through conduit 54' (FIG. 1) into chamber 66 and slides clutchplate 67 to the left into engagement with clutch plate 65 whichdrivingly connects hoist line drum B, its braking mechanism andplanetary gearing P all as hereinbefore specifically described. As well,the air branches through conduit 50 into housing 46 and together withspring 49 biases valve 47 to closed position. Such valve 47 and valve 17remain closed when the tension in cable C is insufficient to open ormove the stud 47 and diaphragm sensor at 42 to the left and opens onlywhen the tension on the cable in the operation of the drill stringbecomes suflicient to so move, such sensor to open valve 47. Thisopening and closing of such valve depends upon the decreasing andincreasing of the deflection of the dead end C. When valve 47 is soopened the air under pressure passes through the port 48, chamber 44,conduit 51 and into chamber 52, unbalancing the pressures biasingclosing of valve 17 and sliding that valve to the left and thus openingits port so that the air passes from chamber 25 into chamber 26 andconduit 32 to motor M. It will be realized that the extent of opening ofvalve 47 is variable and proportional to the tension to which cable C issubjected and that the extent of opening of main valve 17 and speed ofrotation of motor M are correspondingly proportional; hence the degreeof restraint imposed upon the drum means is automatically variable.

The remainder of the operation of the planetary gearing P and the drummechanism B has hereinbefore been specifically traced.

Various changes may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of theinvention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a system for regulating drill line tension as successively deeperformations are penetrated, drum means rotatable in response to tensionin the drill line mounted to support a supply of said drill line andprovided with braking means thereon for release through tension in thedrill line and reapplication through rotation of the drum, means forexerting a variable force on said braking means including a planetarygear assembly, a clutch means for said drum means and planetary gearassembly having a first clutch member and a co-acting clutch member,said planetary gear assembly including a first gear means and abrake-operating part rotatable in the same direction but in a directionopposite to the direction of drum rotation and being rotatable inopposite directions relative to each other, a fluid operable motormounted to supply input torque to said first gear means, a planetarygear element of said assembly carried by the first clutch member gearedto said part, a fluid pressure circuit, a control valve mechanism insaid circuit, a first branch supply conduit in said circuit wherebypressure in said conduit will urge said control valve means towardclosed position, a second branch supply conduit in said circuitincluding a diaphragm sensor responsive to tension in said drill lineoperable to initiate flow of fluid pressure to said motor, said circuithaving a first branch conduit portion from said sensor to said controlvalve means for passage of fluid pressure to said control valve means tooverbalance and variably open it, and a second branch conduit portion insaid circuit for passage of fluid pressure to thereby engage said clutchmembers.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein said first gear means and firstclutch member are journalled on the same axis as said drum, and saidcoacting clutch member is slidably mounted on said axis.

3. A system according to claim 1 wherein said drum means includes ashaft having a portion extending laterally beyond the drum means, saidfirst gear means and first clutch member are journalled on saidextending portion, and said coacting clutch member is slidably mountedon said extending portion.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein said control valve mechanismhas a valve element, a rod slidably mounting said valve element, anddiaphragm means on opposite sides of said valve element to move said rodaccording to application of fluid pressure thereagainst from said firstbranch supply conduit and said first branch conduit portion,respectively.

5. A system according to claim 1 wherein said sensor References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,919,611 Besigk July 25,1933 1,926,119 Smith Sept. 12, 1933 2,117,078 Brauer May 10, 19382,455,917 Crake Dec. 14, 1948 2,759,702 Abraham Aug. 21, 1956 2,867,411Simmonds et a1. Ian. 6, 1959 2,931,628 Simmonds et al Apr. 5, 19602,950,086 Abraham Aug. 23, 1960

1. IN A SYSTEM FOR REGULATING DRILL LINE TENSION AS SUCCESSIVELY DEEPERFORMATIONS ARE PENETRATED, DRUM MEANS ROTATABLE IN RESPONSE TO TENSIONIN THE DRILL LINE MOUNTED TO SUPPORT A SUPPLY OF SAID DRILL LINE ANDPROVIDED WITH BRAKING MEANS THEREON FOR RELEASE THROUGH TENSION IN THEDRILL LINE AND REAPPLICATION THROUGH ROTATION OF THE DRUM, MEANS FOREXERTING A VARIABLE FORCE ON SAID BRAKING MEANS INCLUDING A PLANETARYGEAR ASSEMBLY, A CLUTCH MEANS FOR SAID DRUM MEANS AND PLANETARY GEARASSEMBLY HAVING A FIRST CLUTCH MEMBER AND A CO-ACTING CLUTCH MEMBER,SAID PLANETARY GEAR ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A FIRST GEAR MEANS AND ABRAKE-OPERATING PART ROTATABLE IN THE SAME DIRECTION BUT IN A DIRECTIONOPPOSITE TO THE DIRECTION OF DRUM ROTATION AND BEING ROTATABLE INOPPOSITE DIRECTIONS RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER, A FLUID OPERABLE MOTORMOUNTED TO SUPPLY INPUT TORQUE TO SAID FIRST GEAR MEANS, A PLANETARYGEAR ELEMENT OF SAID ASSEMBLY CARRIED BY THE FIRST CLUTCH MEMBER GEAREDTO SAID PART, A FLUID PRESSURE CIRCUIT, A CONTROL VALVE MECHANISM INSAID CIRCUIT, A FIRST BRANCH SUPPLY CONDUIT IN SAID CIRCUIT WHEREBYPRESSURE IN SAID CONDUIT WILL URGE SAID CONTROL VALVE MEANS TOWARDCLOSED POSITION, A SECOND BRANCH SUPPLY CONDUIT IN SAID CIRCUITINCLUDING A DIAPHRAGM SENSOR RESPONSIVE TO TENSION IN SAID DRILL LINEOPERABLE TO INITIATE FLOW OF FLUID PRESSURE TO SAID MOTOR, SAID CIRCUITHAVING A FIRST BRANCH CONDUIT PORTION FROM SAID SENSOR TO SAID CONTROLVALVE MEANS FOR PASSAGE OF FLUID PRESSURE TO SAID CONTROL VALVE MEANS TOOVERBALANCE AND VARIABLY OPEN IT, AND A SECOND BRANCH CONDUIT PORTION INSAID CIRCUIT FOR PASSAGE OF FLUID PRESSURE TO THEREBY ENGAGE SAID CLUTCHMEMBERS.